Making Visual Adaptations to an Apple or Windows PC

Edit 14 …


Students with visual impairments, should have the same accessibility as their peers, to electronics, computers, print, and Internet. Commercial screen magnification software and commercial speech output software is great, if you will only be using the computer in one or two locations. What are you supposed to do when you go to a library, internet cafe or change classes? Students should be able to independently make visual accommodations to any computer they encounter, provided the computer is not older than 5 years.

What strategies should we be teaching our students?



Strategies for Making Visual Adaptation


  • Identify the type of Computer - Apple/Windows
  • Identify location of built in accessibility options: Apple/ Universal Options
  • Identify location of built in accessibility options: Windows/Ease of Use
  • Identify visual adaptation for Internet Browsers
  • Identify System Access at http://www.satogo.com


Apple Computers

  • Create keyboard shortcuts that activate magnification and speech, so that the system is able to make the changes listed below:
  • Zoom (screen magnification)
  • VoiceOver (screen reader)
  • Enhance the mouse by changing the size
  • Change the background color
  • Change the menu font size
  • Change the color and contrast
  • Utilize Find looking because a visual target with magnification is more difficult than typing in the name you're looking for.

Windows Systems

  • Create keyboard shortcuts that activate magnification and speech, so that the system is able to make the changes
  • Pin icons such as the magnifier and narrator to the task bar
  • Magnifier (screen magnification)
  • Narrator (speech output)
  • Accessibility Wizard
  • Enhance the mouse by changing the size
  • Change the background color
  • Change the menu font size
  • Change the color and contrast
  • Access the Internet with a free speech output program called System Access at the following link http://www.satogo.com
  • Utilize Find looking because a visual target with magnification is more difficult than typing in the name you're looking for.

Internet and Browsers

  • Create keyboard shortcuts that activate magnification and speech, so that the system is able to make the changes listed below:

  • Magnification of enlarged text (Windows ctrl + or -) (Apple apple + or -)
  • Access the Internet with a free speech output program called System Access at http://www.satogo.com
  • Utilize Find looking because a visual target with magnification is more difficult than typing in the name you're looking for.
  • Change to View as Text only
  • Change settings to disable pictures without links
  • Detailed information about System Access would be located in the files and also standard shortcuts for Internet Browsers